Safety snap-on button baby&#39;s diaper



March 11, 1969 R. E. LEE 3,431,908

SAFETY SNAPON BUTTON BABY'S DIAPER Filed May 25, 1966 IN VEN'TOR- United States Patent 3 431,908 SAFETY SNAP-0N IIUTTON BABYS DIAPER Robert E. Lee, 905 Cedar Ave., Iron Mountain, Mich. 49801 Filed May 23, 1966, Ser. No. 560,911 US. Cl. 128284 Int. Cl. A61f 13/00 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in diapers intended for wear by infants and small children for protective purposes.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a diaper which is adjustable to fit children of various sizes, which requires no pins and which will fit a child properly and can be worn comfortably at all times.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a diaper of triangular shape having at its corners snap fasteners securing means which wholly dispense with safety pins and other elements of danger to the child, there being utilized a plurality of such snap fasteners at the diaper corners, such that the diaper can be fitted about the infant and maintained in its adjusted position.

A still further object of this invention relates to the use of two such triangular shaped diapers arranged in overlapping relationship held together by suitably arranged snap fasteners to provide by its double thickness added protection and in which overlapping corners of the diaper parts are secured together by snap fasteners at the sides of the infant.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of the application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown illustrative embodiments of the invention:

FIGURE 1 shows a plan view of two diaper parts prior to their placement together for use as a single diaper;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the diaper of FIGURE 1 as applied to an infant;

FIGURE 3 shows a plan view of a modified form of diaper;

FIGURE 4 illustrates the diaper of FIGURE 3 as applied to an infant.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is shown in FIGURE 1, a diaper construction embodying two like triangular shaped diaper parts and 12 formed of a fabric suitable for diaper purposes. Diaper part 10 is provided at corner 14 with a pair of snap fastener elements 15 and centrally of the side edge 16 of the diaper with a snap fastener element 17, the snap fastener elements 15 and 17 being aligned in parallel relation to the side edge 16. At the corner 18 of the diaper part 10 opposite the corner 14, there is provided a tab 20 extending outwardly of the side edge 21 of the diaper part 10, the tab 20 carrying a snap fastener element 22. At the corner 24 of the diaper part 10, there is provided a snap fastener element 25 that is in alignment with the central snap fastener element 17. In a like manner, diaper part 12 is provided with corre- Patented Mar. 11, 1969 sponding snap fastener elements 15 at corner 14', 17 at center of side edge 16' and 25' at corner 24'. On side edge 26 of diaper part 12 adjacent corner 18', there is provided a flap 20' with snap fastener element 22'.

The two diaper par-ts 10, 12 as shown in FIGURE 1, have their faces uppermost and in use provide a double diaper thickness for added protection. In such use the faces of the diaper parts 10, 12, are brought together with side edge 16' of diaper part 12 at corner 24 of diaper part 10 so that side edge 16 is parallel to side edge 16. In this superposed position, the two diaper parts 10, 12 are secured together by engagement of mating snap fasteners 17, 25 and 25, 17'.

The connected superposed diaper parts 10, 12 are positioned as a unit on the infant such that the narrowest width portion thereof will be at the crotch so as to bring side edge 16 of diaper part 10 across the infants abdomen and side edge 16' of diaper part 12 across the infants back at the waistline as shown in FIGURE 2. The diaper is then adjustably secured to the infant by appropriate mating engagement of the snap fastener on the flap at each side of the infant with a selected one of the snap fasteners on the corner of the diaper part opposed thereto.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 3, the diaper 30 of suitable fabric is shown of triangular shape, there being provided at each corner thereof a plurality of snap fastener elements 32, 33, 34. The snap fastener elements 32, 33 are female units while the elements 34 are male units. The diaper 30 is positioned on the infant, see FIG- URE 4, with the base or side edge 36 extending across the back of the infant at the waistline such that the tapering portion 38 is brought up between the legs of the infant and against his abdomen. The diaper 30 is then adjustably secured to the infant by selected mating engagement of one female snap fastener element 33 with the right male snap fastener element 34 (viewing FIG. 3) and by a corresponding connection of mating engagement of one female snap fastener element 32 with the left male snap fastener element 34 (viewing FIGURE 3).

It is to be understood that while only two snap fastener elements have been shown at each of the corners of the diaper 30, such is for purposes of illustration only and that any desired number may be provided to effect a greater degree of adjustability so as to accommodate the diaper to varying sizes of infants. Also inasmuch as the snap fastener elements provide a flat surface with rounded edges flush with the fabric surface of the diaper and due to their small size as well, such will not scratch or otherwise injure or discomfort the tender skin of the infant.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A diaper comprising:

(a) a triangular shaped fabric body providing a back portion and a front flap portion with said back portion defined by one side edge of the diaper and the fiap portion defined by the angularly related other two side edges of the diaper;

(b) at least one snap fastener element at each of opposed corner portions at said one side edge of the diaper;

(c) snap fastener means at the terminal end portion of the flap portion;

including (d) a snap fastener means at said one side edge of the diaper midway between each of said corner portions;

including (e) a second triangular shaped fabric body corresponding in shape and dimensions to said first mentioned triangular shaped fabric body and having provided thereon snap fastener elements and snap fastener means corresponding in number and location to that on said first mentioned triangular shaped fabric body with each said triangular shaped fabric body providing a diaper part;

(f) said diaper parts being disposed in superposed opposed relation such that the snap fastener means at the flap portion of one diaper part will connect by mating engagement with the snap fastener means midway of said one side edge of the other diaper part whereby to secure said diaper parts together to provide a unit handled multi-ply diaper having a mid portion of less width than the width of said side edge,

sides secured together by mating engagement of the snap fastener elements thereat to provide openings through which the legs of the infant protrude.

2. The diaper of claim 1, including:

(a) an outwardly extending flap at one side edge of a diaper part adjacent one of said opposed corners thereof, and

(b) an outwardly extending flap at the other side edge of the other diaper part adjacent the other of said opposed corners thereof,

whereby in the superposed interconnected relation of said diaper parts said flaps will be oppositely disposed, and

(c) each said flap having thereon a snap fastener element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,366,002 12/1944 Carden l28284 and whereby 1H q 20 2,523,989 9/1950 Geeslin 128-284 one back portion of one diaper part W111 extend over 2 866 460 12/1958 Tomlinson 128 284 the abdomen of the infant and the other back por- 3049124 8/1962 Thompson tion of the other diaper part will extend over the 3:150:66? 9/1964 Combs g7 lower back portion of the infant, with the mid portion of less width extending about the crotch of the 2 n a infant and with corresponding corners at the infants 0 CHARLES ROSENBAUM Pnmary Exammel' 

